Bushnell Banner 2 6-18×50 Review: Is This Scope Worth It?

Are you looking for a great budget-priced and long-range scope? Unsure if the Bushnell Banner 6-18×50 is the best option?

Look no further because I’ll be discussing everything there is to know about this optic in this review!

I’ll go through everything: the pros, cons, build, ease of use, shooting performance, and price value.

Overview of Bushnell Banner 6-18×50 Rifle Scope

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The Bushnell Banner 6-18x50mm is one of the best budget long-range rifle scopes for a reason. Here are the main features, pros, and cons of this scope.

Main Features

It comes with Bushnell Banner Dusk Dawn Brightness fully multi-coated lenses for clarity and brightness in low light, meaning more shooting time, even in the late afternoons.

The scope is made with a one-inch tube and only comes in a second focal plane reticle option.

The Banner 6-18×50 has a one-piece tube design carrying a 50mm objective lens diameter. It also has a magnification range from 6x to 18x.

With this, you get a WIDE field of view for hunting.

The Bushnell Multi X reticle on this scope gives a clear view of the target. Additionally, it has a 3.5-inch eye relief for quicker scope in time.

Looking through the reticle is easier when the scope is waterproof and treated with argon proofing and nitrogen-purged to keep the fog out of the lenses.

Additionally, the scope comes with an adjustable objective used for parallax adjustment. Unlike many scopes in the budget market, it can focus at 10 yards.

Full Review of Bushnell Banner 6-18x50mm Rifle Scope

There’s a lot to consider when buying scopes, so I’ll break this review down into what I think are essential factors.

Weight

With its one-inch tube and a 50mm objective lens, the scope comes in a sleek and beautiful design.

However, The 50mm objective lens can add a bit of weight to the optic, but it’s still relatively light.

The scope’s weight is 18 ounces (1 pound 2 ounces).

This isn’t too heavy for a variable magnification scope, and making it lighter might sacrifice optical clarity and performance.

The expectation for variable zoom scopes like this is for heavier weight the more zoom lenses you add.

However, fortunately, the weight of this optic isn’t too bad!

If you need higher zoom levels, consider getting spotting scopes that perform even better in low-light situations (for example, at dawn).

Turret Caps

It has both vertical and horizontal turrets to allow for windage and elevation adjustments, and each of them has screw-on caps to ensure they don’t get damaged when not in use.

Additionally, these caps reduce the likelihood of an accidental turret adjustment, which can be a pain when moving around before making another shot. Trust me, I know.

The Banner is waterproof and fog proof on the lenses, meaning you don’t need to worry about shooting in the rain or when conditions get humid.

Warranty

One confusing thing that Bushnell optics has to do with their warranty. Different warranties cover various scopes listed on their website.

The options include:

• Bushnell No Questions Asked Lifetime Warranty
• Bushnell Lifetime Ironclad Warranty
• Bushnell Ironclad Warranty 2018 to May 2020
• Bushnell Limited Warranty

It seems confusing to me why there are many warranty programs. I recommend you search the site, search for a review, or contact Bushnell support directly.

Ask about the warranty that applies to this scope before buying.

Ease of Use

The BEST feature of the Bushnell Banner 6-18x50mm is the parallax adjustment through the adjustable objective.

Many scopes only have the adjustment at the industry standard of 50 yards.

Imagine a situation where you’re coyote hunting, and one pops up at around the 30-yard range from the caller.

No matter how low you try to adjust the focus, it will still appear blurry, even at the lowest 6x magnification.

Nothing is more annoying than an out-of-focus target that you can’t shoot at properly.

However, I would have loved to see a sunshade added to this scope since its main application is in hunting.

Shooting Performance

The performance of the Bushnell Banner 6-18x50mm is great! There are many reasons why I think it makes a great low-light scope.

Objective Lens and Multicoated Lenses

I’ll start with the large 50mm objective lens. This larger lens allows for maximum light transmission even in low-light conditions.

Hunting with this scope is great in ALL lighting conditions because of the optical quality and clarity.

The Bushnell Banner Dusk Dawn Brightness glass on this optic is manufactured with processes that reduce the reflections that come off the glass.

Again, this allows for maximum light transmission even in low-light conditions. Reviews don’t call this a great low-light riflescope for nothing.

Eyepiece and Turrets

Another feature that helps is the fast-focus eyepiece. It gives a 3.5mm eye relief that gives enough room to avoid recoil and scope in faster.

Pair this with variable zoom lenses that can aim at short and long distances, and you have a wide field of view.

No varmints were able to escape my shooting with this scope!

Precision shooting is also better with the 1/4 MOA adjustable fingertip, resettable windage, and elevation adjustments.

Reticle

The Multi X reticle is another crucial part of this scope.

It’s in the standard duplex style but with thicker diameter vertical and horizontal posts that taper down towards the center.

Duplex-style reticles are great for target shooting and hunting at a longer range.

The thicker posts will help distinguish the reticle from the busy background of a forest or bad weather conditions.

Combining Features

The Multi X reticle works well in tandem with the Banner Dusk Dawn Brightness multicoated lenses for target clarity in any situation.

A good example of this is shooting at long range in the early dawn hours. The low light situation needs a thicker reticle, which the Multi X reticle covers.

The Banner Dusk Dawn Brightness lenses on the scope allow more light in, increasing the target’s brightness and allowing you to scan and search the area more easily.

Things to Improve

Bushnell could improve the reticle features by adding bullet drop compensation or a BDC system.

This isn’t necessary, but many shooters prefer having the option.

Otherwise, the Bushnell Banner 6-18x50mm is one of the best options for a low-light riflescope with multiple zoom levels.

CONSIDER: There are many scope options for situations like hunting deer in low light situations, like at dawn.

Pricing

The low price makes it a great scope for those hunting on a BUDGET. The Banner 6-18x50mm comes in at under $150.

Get it on a sale, and they drop to $125 on some occasions! You cannot understate the value of money.

This shows that you don’t need to drop $2000 on rifle scopes to have good clarity, optical quality, and helpful features.

The beautiful design of the Banner 6-18x50mm is reminiscent of more expensive scopes, which is impressive.

The weight is also likely to be lighter than more expensive ones.

I think this is the best of the features of this Bushnell scope. Yes, the individual features have their own merit, but getting all of them for this price is even more impressive.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Frequently Asked Questions

You might still have other questions about this scope, other Bushnell optics, where they’re made, or other features you might be curious about.

I’ve answered the most commonly asked questions below.

Is the Bushnell Banner Shockproof?

There is no mention about by Bushnell Optics about whether the scope is shockproof.

I would therefore caution against throwing the scope around or not storing it properly.

The optics that Bushnell makes are durable, but being careless and often dropping optics will result in either zero being lost or irreparable damage done.

Why Is the Adjustable Objective Important?

This is important because it controls the parallax and precision of the scope.

If there’s a target closer to you and your scope’s focused at a higher magnification range, it will help quickly bring the closer object into focus.

This is especially important in hunting in low-light conditions. You don’t want to lose a target in a darker and more busy background.

Where Is the Bushnell Banner Line of Scopes Made?

Bushnell Banner scopes used to be made in China. Sometime around 2015-2016, Bushnell moved their production to South Korea.

There is a difference in quality between the two optics made by either manufacturer.

I noticed that the China-made one had clearer marks on the adjustable objective.

The South Korean-manufactured optics have higher quality glass, with a sharper and higher brightness to it, making it a slightly better clear view than the China-made one.

However, these differences are minimal and only come up if you A/B test them side by side. Most shooters won’t even notice the difference in day-to-day use.

Are Bushnell Scopes Worth It?

Whether Bushnell’s optics are worth it or not depends on a few factors. The first is how much you’re willing to spend on a scope.

If you have a much higher budget and are an expert shooter, other options with high-tech features and even better optical quality might be worth it.

If you’re a beginner, this top-quality optic will be a great starting point in helping you in target shooting and getting more accurate.

The next factor to consider is the specific use case of each shooter.

The Banner scopes are great if you’re into longer-range hunting and need a thick scope reticle to distinguish from the busy background.

However, looking elsewhere is probably better for you if you need something more advanced than the Multi X reticle, like a BDC reticle.

The last piece of advice I’ll give is to read or watch reviews of any Banner optics you plan to buy. This will help you determine whether the scope fits your needs.

Conclusion

I hope this review on the Bushnell Banner 6-18x50mm scope helps you make a good purchase decision on whether the scope fits your needs.

With great clarity, optics quality, a large 50mm objective lens for low light performance, and generous eye relief, this scope is a contender for best in the price range.

You get more value with extra goodies like the adjustable objective, Multi X reticle, waterproof feature, and the Bushnell Banner Dusk Dawn Brightness multicoated lenses.

This scope is great value for money, and you can find it at a big discount on almost any site.